So that the sound of the Chapi instrument may continue to resonate.

The Chapi is a unique traditional musical instrument of the Raglay people in the mountainous district of Bac Ai, Ninh Thuan province. The Chapi has been closely associated with the Raglay community for generations, becoming a beautiful cultural feature of the Raglay people in this sun-drenched and windy region. In the flow of modern life, the Chapi is still being preserved and passed down by some artisans in Bac Ai, with the hope that the unique sounds of this instrument will continue to resonate...

Some traditional musical instruments of the Raglay people, including the Chapi (center).

The spiritual food of the Raglay people

At a meeting and exchange conference of ethnic minority artists in Hanoi , we had the opportunity to watch and listen to the distinguished artist Mai Tham from Ma Oai village, Phuoc Thang commune, Bac Ai district, Ninh Thuan province, play the Chapi instrument. The artist played the instrument while humming a song in the Raglay language that he had learned since childhood. The sounds from the Chapi were rhythmic, sometimes low, sometimes high, echoing the melodies of the mountains and forests.

According to Meritorious Artist Mai Thắm, in the past, the Mã la (a type of gong of the Raglay people), stone xylophones, and Chapi were indispensable spiritual nourishment for the Raglay people. But perhaps the most unique of all was the Chapi. This is a musical instrument made from bamboo tubes, crafted by Raglay artisans and played in folk festivals, especially during the ethnic group's holidays and New Year celebrations such as: the Funeral Ceremony, the New Rice Festival, the Field Ceremony, and the Lunar New Year...

According to Meritorious Artist Mai Thắm, for the Raglay people, the Chapi is the instrument of the poor. Every poor person can afford a Chapi, and its sound is a companion in times of both joy and sorrow. This is because a complete set of Ma La instruments requires 9 to 12 pieces, and a good antique Ma La instrument can be traded for a buffalo or two cows. The Chapi, on the other hand, can be made in just one day by gathering bamboo from the forest and can be played by one person, while the Ma La requires five, seven, or even ten people to play.

Meritorious Artist Mai Thắm plays the Chapi instrument.

Remarkably, the sound of the Chapi is like a miniature set of gongs. The Chapi's sound resonates with varying tempos, sometimes slow, sometimes fast, sometimes gentle, brimming with emotion. Simple and lightweight, the Chapi accompanies the Raglai people throughout the forests, mountains, and villages, so that everyone can play it in times of joy or sorrow.

The Chapi instrument has six melodies with very simple names: the Frog Melody, the Bird Melody, the Forgotten Melody, the Lament Melody, or the "You Stay, I Go Home" Melody. "The Chapi rhythm is slow yet free-spirited, just like the relaxed, unhurried demeanor and the proud, free steps of the Raglay people," said Meritorious Artist Mai Thắm.

Outwardly, the Chapi instrument is a long, old bamboo tube, about 40cm long and 7-8cm in diameter, with holes drilled at both ends. According to Meritorious Artist Mai Thắm, to make a Chapi, one must go into the forest to cut bamboo. The bamboo must be round, thorny bamboo with yellowed, glossy bark, growing on high hilltops where the roots do not absorb much water. After using a machete to cut the trunk horizontally, it is brought back and hung in the kitchen for 3-4 months to dry thoroughly and make the thorny bamboo very strong before being used to make the instrument. The drier the bamboo is, the better the sound it produces, and the less susceptible it is to insect infestation.

Each Chapi instrument has 8 strings, spaced approximately 2 cm apart. The uniqueness of the Chapi lies in the fact that the strings are made of bamboo. This is also the most difficult part of crafting a Chapi instrument for the Raglai people.

To craft Chapi strings, artisans use knives to carefully cut the bamboo bark, separating it into four pairs of evenly spaced but varying thicknesses. Then, they smooth a piece of bamboo, insert it between two parallel strings, and tie them securely with strands gathered from the forest, simultaneously testing the sound to ensure the strings produce the best possible tone.

The Chapi instrument has four holes corresponding to four frets. The holes are located in the middle of the bamboo body, with two holes at each end for the sound to escape. When playing the Chapi, the artist must raise the instrument high, close to their chest, resting the hollow end against their stomach to trap the sound inside the instrument. Both hands are used to hold the instrument and to pluck the strings in rhythm.

Because the Chapi melody cannot be transcribed on paper, only the strings produce the sounds of varying pitches. Therefore, people have to play the instrument day and night to memorize it. The Chapi carries the heartfelt emotions of the Raglai people. "Our people rarely express their feelings verbally, so they often use the Chapi to unburden their hearts," said artisan Mai Thắm.

Preserving the unique sound of the Chapi instrument.

Today, the festive atmosphere is no longer the same as before, and due to the influence of new trends, the playing of the Chapi instrument is fading away in Raglay villages. Even in the very "cradle" of the Chapi, very few people know the sound of the Chapi or how to play it anymore. This saddens those who are deeply committed to preserving Raglay culture, such as artisan Mai Thắm.

"Our generation has always been worried that the sound of the Chapi instrument will no longer be heard in the community gatherings of the Raglai people, that no one will know how to play the Chapi anymore," worried Meritorious Artist Mai Thắm.

Therefore, preserving the Raglay cultural identity, including safeguarding the Chapi instrument, is an important task that those deeply committed to ethnic culture, such as Meritorious Artist Mai Thắm, always keep in mind.

The Chapi instrument of the Raglay people in Ninh Thuan.

In recent years, in order to preserve and promote the traditional cultural values ​​of the Raglay people, Ninh Thuan province has developed a "Community Tourism Development Project for the period 2023-2026 and a vision to 2030" linked to the preservation of the traditional cultural values ​​of the Raglay people. At the same time, it has coordinated with relevant agencies to collect and research folk arts, and to revive and restore the "cultural space" of the Raglay people. This includes opening classes to teach the use of traditional musical instruments so that young people can better understand and appreciate traditional culture.

Meritorious Artist Mai Thắm not only opened a training center for playing the Mã la and Chapi instruments for the people of Phước Thắng commune at his home, but he also joined Chamalé Âu and Chamalé Liếp artisans in teaching the use of traditional musical instruments of Ninh Thuận province. He diligently and meticulously instructed them on how to play the Chapi and how to distinguish different musical pieces to suit various ceremonies and festivals. "If the Raglay people don't learn or pass on their knowledge to future generations, musical instruments like the Chapi, the gourd-shaped mouth organ, the Mã la, etc., will be forgotten. Therefore, we must have these training classes to preserve the beautiful cultural identity of the Raglay people," Meritorious Artist Mai Thắm affirmed.

Through these training classes, many young Raglay people have learned about and practiced the Chapi instrument, becoming members of the local performing arts group. This has greatly delighted elderly artisans like Meritorious Artist Mai Thắm, as it shows that the younger generation is carrying on the traditional values ​​of their ethnic group.

Thanks to Ninh Thuan province's efforts to preserve its ethnic culture, the sound of the Chapi instrument, blended with other musical instruments, is now becoming a major attraction for tourists visiting this sunny and windy land of Ninh Thuan, at community tourism areas in Bac Ai district.

According to Thanh Thuan/Dan Toc Newspaper

Source: https://baophutho.vn/de-tieng-dan-chapi-con-vang-mai-216846.htm